On December 31, the Texas Democrats filed this brief in Miller v Hughs, w.d., 1:19cv-1071. This is the case over the Texas law that puts Republican nominees on the top line on the general election ballot, because the Republicans won the last gubernatorial election in Texas.
On January 5, Lincoln Chafee filed with the Federal Election Commission as a Libertarian presidential candidate. The filing says his campaign manager is Christopher Thrasher. See the filing here. Thanks to Jim Riley for the link.
Chafee has been elected Governor of Rhode Island, and also U.S. Senator from Rhode Island. He was elected Governor in 2010 as an independent. He is age 66. When he was a Republican U.S. Senator in 2003, he was the only Republican Senator to vote against going to war against Iraq. Here is a Rhode Island news story about his filing.
Although some states provide presidential primaries for parties other than the Republican and Democratic Parties, it is rare for people seeking the nomination to actually campaign in those minor party primaries. However, a candidate for the Libertarian presidential nomination, Jacob Hornberger, has been campaigning in North Carolina. Also campaigning with him is Spike Cohen, who wants the vice-presidential nomination (although vice-president does not appear on the ballot in any state’s presidential primary any longer). See this story. The North Carolina presidential primaries are on March 3. North Carolina provides presidential primaries to all qualified parties, including the Green and Constitution Parties.
On January 3, filing closed for Illinois presidential primaries. Only three Republicans will appear on the Republican ballot: President Donald Trump, Rocky De La Fuente, and John Schiess (who lives in Wisconsin).
Thirteen Democrats will appear: Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Deval Patrick, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang. Presidential candidates need 3,000 signatures. Here is a link to the State Board of Elections list.
On January 1, Kathleen Ligammari, chairwoman of the Niagara Falls Libertarian Party committee, was appointed City Clerk of that city. See this story. Thanks to Steve Kamp for the link.
